Parliament hill

Political Science

Master of Arts (MA)

Thesis-based program

Program overview

The Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary is among the strongest in Canada. Our scholars are pivotal in shaping political discourse in Canada and around the world, through their research and publishing in major scholarly journals, through training graduate students to become leaders in academic, public and private sector careers, and through their active participation in public debates about politics in Canada and international affairs.

Our program covers the traditional fields of political science and offers unparalleled strengths in the areas of Canadian politics, elections and voting behaviour, international law, political violence, history of political thought, gender and politics, and indigenous politics.

Students are given the tools and guidance needed to work at a high level on theoretical and practical problems of crucial political importance, domestically and globally.

Completing this program

  • Core Courses: Two or three courses in a primary field: Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations or political thought.

  • Research Methods: Students demonstrate knowledge of research methods or complete a course on quantitative analysis in political science.

  • Additional Courses: Topics may include history of political thought, political theory, Canadian political process, foreign policy and more.

  • Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.

Outcomes

Government policy analyst, researcher, consultant, non-governmental organizations, international organizations.

A master’s degree in political science will give you the pre-requisite for a PhD.

Thesis-based program

Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.

Classroom delivery

Time commitment

Two years full time; four years maximum

Supervisor

A supervisor is required, and must agree to oversee the student's research before admission will be granted

Fees and funding

See the Graduate Calendar for information on fees and fee regulations, and for information on awards and financial assistance.

Virtual Tour

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Supervisors

Learn about faculty available to supervise this degree.
Please note: additional supervisors may be available. Contact the program for more information.


  1. Gavin Cameron

    Gavin Cameron

    Accepting Inquiries
  2. Rob Huebert

    Rob Huebert

    Accepting Inquiries
  3. Jack Lucas

    Jack Lucas

    Accepting Inquiries
  4. Roberta Rice

    Roberta Rice

    Accepting Inquiries
    Comparative Politics, Latin American Politics, Indigenous Politics
  5. Anthony Sayers

    Anthony Sayers

    Accepting Inquiries
    Political Parties, Elections and Representation, Federalism
  6. Melanee Thomas

    Melanee Thomas

    Accepting Inquiries
    Gender and Politics, Canadian Politics, Political Behaviour, Energy Transition, Research Methods
  7. Lisa Young

    Lisa Young

    Accepting Inquiries
    Political Parties, Election Law and Political Finance, Women in Politics

Admission Requirements


GPA

A minimum of 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.

Minimum education

A four-year BA in Political Science or a strong background in Political Science: at least 5.0 full-course equivalents in Political Science.

Supervision

A supervisor is required, and must agree to oversee the student's research before admission will be granted.

Additional supervisors to those listed above may be found on the Political Science Research page. Contact the Political Science Graduate Program Office for more information. 

Documents

  • A statement of research interests
  • Email confirmation from a potential supervisor who is interested in supervising your work

Work samples

Sample of written work, preferably a paper submitted for a Political Science course.

Reference letters

Two

Test scores

None


English language proficiency

An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

Deadlines

For admission on September 1:

  • Canadians and permanent residents: Jan. 15 application deadline
  • International students: Jan. 15 application deadline

If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about international requirements

Learn more about this program

Department of Political Science

Social Sciences Building, Room 756
618 Campus Place NW
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4

Contact the Graduate Program Administrator

Visit the departmental website

 

Faculty of Arts

University of Calgary
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4

Visit the Faculty of Arts website